KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A dozen leaders from Europe and Canada visited Ukraine’s capital Monday to mark the third anniversary of the country’s war with Russia in a conspicuous show of support for Kyiv amid deepening uncertainty about the Trump administration’s commitment to helping it fend off Russia’s invasion.
Some of Ukraine’s most important backers, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, were among the visitors greeted at the train station by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and the president’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak.
In a post on X, von der Leyen wrote that Europe was in Kyiv “because Ukraine is in Europe.”
“In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” she wrote.
Ukrainian and European officials have been rattled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s cordial approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his tough words for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a cascade of unwelcome developments for Kyiv, Trump has in recent days called Zelenskyy a dictator, suggested Ukraine is to blame for the war and ended Putin’s three-year diplomatic isolation by the United States. U.S. officials have also indicated to Ukraine that its hopes of joining NATO are unlikely to be realized and that it probably won’t get back the land that Russia’s army has occupied, amounting to nearly 20% of the country.
Meanwhile, Putin’s troops are making steady progress on the battlefield while Ukraine is grappling with shortages of troops and weapons.
The Trump administration began negotiations with Russia to end the war in Ukraine — without Ukraine at the table. The move alarmed European leaders and Ukraine supporters in Congress Walt Handelsman leads this week’s editorial cartoon gallery with his view of President Donald Trump handing over “Youkraine” to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The theme continues with Bill Bramhall’s depiction of Trump conducting “piece talks” over which piece of Ukraine Putin will get. Drew Sheneman’s Trump askis Putin if he wants to borrow his Sharpie to redraw Ukraine’s borders, referring to the president’s scribble on a map altering Hurricane Dorian’s path in 2019. Dana Summers sees Trump as herding cats named after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin and Europe.
Nick Anderson, Mike Luckovich, Michael Ramirez and Phil Hands all refer to Trump’s false claim that Zelenskyy started the war. Actually, Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Luckovich puts the betrayal in terms “Star Wars” fans can understand; Han Solo can’t believe his eyes when he sees Chewbacca with his arm around Darth Vader.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine set a somber tone on Monday for the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion, posting a short video praising Ukrainians for their sacrifices and honoring those who died.
No major events were planned. It was a day to remember what was lost: loved ones and previous lives.
On her way to work at a local supermarket, Olha Shtepan, a Ukrainian refugee in Hamburg, Germany, started crying. “It’s a wound that doesn’t heal,” she said of the invasion that began Feb. 24, 2022. “Sometimes, I manage to not think of all what has happened, but on a day like today it is terrible.”
Three years ago when Russia attacked, Ms. Shtepan was babysitting for her sister’s children in Kyiv. Her own children were with her husband in Irpin, a nearby suburb that was partly occupied by Russia in the first weeks of the war. She grabbed the children and rushed to Irpin to join her family — into greater danger. “At that time, I did not know that we are going to hell,” she said by voice message from Germany.
After more than a week of heavy bombing, they evacuated with four children in a flow of people fleeing over the remnants a blown-up bridge. “We were there,” she said of the bridge, which became a symbol of the suffering in the early part of the war.
The family left for Germany, but the pain remains. “The whole month of February for us, all Ukrainians who went through those horrors, it’s a terrible month,” Ms. Shtepan said.
Across Ukraine, there are memorials. Some, like destroyed cars of those who tried to flee that litter the countryside, remain as they did back then, a reminder of what was lost. Others are newly created, as the war continues.
Ukraine Wow, a public organization that promotes Ukrainian culture, earlier this month created an animated sculpture of 12-foot-high hearts at the central railway station in Kyiv. The hearts beat faster each time they receive a message from people with the name of someone who has died in a war.
The Trump administration’s big cuts to the federal government are hitting one group particularly hard — the country’s veterans. Veterans make up 28% of the federal workforce — a far bigger share than the 5% in the private sector. https://www.axios.com/2025/02/24/trump-doge-musk-veterans
Would love to hear the Democrats hit harder on the totally sloppy incompetence of Trump and Lump with DOGE. There has now even been some push back by the Trump named heads of agencies. It would be more effective than “Constitutional Crisis” which most of the public doesn’t even understand.
They are proving to be very bad at organization and cost cutting that actually damages the citizens and businesses of the US.
Nearly everyone with measles in the rapidly growing Texas outbreak is unvaccinated, infecting others.
Sturgeone
9 minutes ago
I’ve seen some ugly American shit since 1960, but this is all by far the ugliest. A steady progression of progressively worse and worse ugliness. 60’s assignations , Vietnam, Nixon, Reagan, Bush 2, and now this. I wish I had gone to Canada in ‘68.
Foreign leaders visit Ukraine to show their support on war’s 3rd anniversary
Free link..
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/23/opinion/trump-ukraine-justice-zelensky.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zU4.7qIL._BflOIu7zFUT&smid=url-share
Trump’s Ukraine U-turn, Musk’s spending cuts: Editorial cartoons for Feb. 23, 2025 – syracuse.com
Ukraine Marks Third Anniversary of War With Little Fanfare – The New York Times
it’s been a long 3 years since this was aired Feb 25, 2022
Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York performs Prayer for Ukraine.
Slava Ukraine
Glory to the Heroes
The Trump administration’s big cuts to the federal government are hitting one group particularly hard — the country’s veterans. Veterans make up 28% of the federal workforce — a far bigger share than the 5% in the private sector.
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/24/trump-doge-musk-veterans
Would love to hear the Democrats hit harder on the totally sloppy incompetence of Trump and Lump with DOGE. There has now even been some push back by the Trump named heads of agencies. It would be more effective than “Constitutional Crisis” which most of the public doesn’t even understand.
They are proving to be very bad at organization and cost cutting that actually damages the citizens and businesses of the US.
on a different subject
John Oliver discusses Facebook’s controversial new plans for content moderation and which Animorphs he would and would not kill with his car.
Performative Idiocracy
Nearly everyone with measles in the rapidly growing Texas outbreak is unvaccinated, infecting others.
I’ve seen some ugly American shit since 1960, but this is all by far the ugliest. A steady progression of progressively worse and worse ugliness. 60’s assignations , Vietnam, Nixon, Reagan, Bush 2, and now this. I wish I had gone to Canada in ‘68.